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Caption

Windmill & nuclear power. Traditional windmill seen in front of a nuclear power station. Steam can be seen rising from the cooling towers. The plant's reactor (lower left) and various pylons can also be seen. Windmills have been used to harness the power of the wind since the 7th century AD. They were used for heavy tasks such as pumping water to drain land or to grind grain to make flour. By contrast nuclear energy (energy released from the splitting of atoms) has only been used to generate electricity since 1956. It is inexpensive and creates no air pollution, but extremely hazardous if radiation is released in an accident. Photographed in Doel, Belgium.